User:Y3Y4y/Evaluate an Article

Evaluate an article

This is where you will complete your article evaluation. Please use the template below to evaluate your selected article.

• Name of article: Rugelach
• Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate: I chose to evaluate this article because I am familiar with Jewish cuisine in the US and in Israel as well as some history and traditions.

Lead

Guiding questions

• Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic? Yes (although plethora of variations in spelling and pronunciations hinder the readability of the sentence)
• Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections? No
• Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article? Yes
• Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed? Overly detailed with hypothetical origins that are discredited in the text as well.

Lead evaluation

The lead consists of 3 paragraphs. The first describes the name variations of the pastry and the geographic origin of the pastry. The second embarks on a tentative exploration of the origin of the pastry (with a source), but then discredits this statement as a potential "urban legend." The paragraph is confusing and not helpful. The third paragraph describes alternative forms of constructing the pastry, which is helpful information.

Content

Guiding questions

• Is the article's content relevant to the topic? Yes
• Is the content up-to-date? Yes
• Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong? Yes

Content evaluation

The content is relevant. It includes etymology and ingredients. Since history is entwined into the section contents by default, it could be helpful to include a separate history section, as well as sections acknowledging the different variations common in various locations where this pastry is enjoyed (ie. US / Israel).

Tone and Balance

Guiding questions

• Is the article neutral? So, so
• Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position? Yes
• Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented? Yes
• Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another? No

Tone and balance evaluation

The article seems to prioritize Jewish culinary traditions of the US by foregrounding sour cream and cream cheese recipes more commonly used in the US and marginalizing the role of yeasted doughs, more commonly used in Israel.

Sources and References

Guiding questions

• Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information? No
• Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic? No
• Are the sources current? Yes
• Check a few links. Do they work? Yes

Sources and references evaluation

Sources include an overwhelming representation of American cookbooks as well as a few newspaper articles. Sources should reflect the global literature on the topic, including recipes from other Jewish communities in Europe and Israel. If that is not possible due to language barriers, the article should reflect the fact that it is representing 'American Rugelach' and not 'Rugelach.'

Organization

Guiding questions

• Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read? So, so
• Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors? No
• Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic? No

Organization evaluation

The article is technically well written, however, some information is presented with a circular logic that can be hard to follow. For instance, in the etymology section, it would be helpful to begin with a topic sentence. Both in the Ingredients section and in the Lead, the article discusses other pastries that are similar to rugelach. These could go into a separate section.

Images and Media

Guiding questions

• Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
• Are images well-captioned?
• Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
• Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?

Checking the talk page

Guiding questions

• What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
• How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
• How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Talk page evaluation

In the talk page, there is a comment about etymological origins of the word 'rugelach' with no subsequent comments. There is also a comment questioning a historical fact found in the Lead. The article is rated as "Stub-Class" and is part of WikiProjects "Food and drink" and "Judaism."

Overall impressions

Guiding questions

• What is the article's overall status?
• What are the article's strengths?
• How can the article be improved?
• How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?

Overall evaluation

The article has a banner alerting readers that its factual accuracy is disputed. The article's strengths are in its exploration of Jewish American traditions, however as this is the article's primary focus, this is also its weakness. The article needs to reflect the broader history and context of the pastry. I would assess this article as underdeveloped in its perspective.

Optional activity

• Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback

with four tildes — ~~~~

• Link to feedback: link to Talk:Rugelach